The North American Securities Administrators Association, the Consumer Federation of America, the Investment Adviser Association, the Financial Planning Association, AARP, and the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors have sent a letter to Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary Schapiro asking that the agency examine a recent national survey that shows that the majority of investors don’t know the differences between investment advisers, brokers, and financial planners. ORC/Infogroup conducted the survey for the trade groups.

1,319 investors were polled. Per the survey, investors appear to “overwhelmingly believe” that representatives who provide investment advice should disclose conflicts of interest and act in clients’ best interests. Many of them are wrong in their belief that investment advisers, broker-dealers, and insurance agents are currently held to a fiduciary standard.

Among the Survey’s Other Findings:
• More than three out of five investors are under the wrong impression that there is no difference between an investment adviser and a stockbroker.

• About 1/3rd of investors are not clear about the role that stockbrokers play or what services that they offer.

The group told Schapiro that per the survey’s findings, a common standard should apply to investment advice that is given, regardless of whether the recommendation is made by an investment adviser or a broker-dealer. They say that the “principles-based fiduciary duty that applies under the [1940 Investment] Advisers Act” should be the standard. Per the survey, many investors feel that a fiduciary standard should also apply to insurance agents that sell investments.